Robbin Miller has published her second picture book entitled, Three Best Friends. Meet Max Thomas, a wheel chair bound boy who is excited about the opening of a new playground and the opportunity to play with his able bodied, best friends, Sophia and Xavier. To his disappointment, the park is not accessible for wheel chairs and leaves him feeling humiliated and stigmatized. In a very child appropriate tone, the story introduces children to the topic of ability, diversity, and bullying. The moral of the story is that all children should be able to play together, however inclusive playgrounds are costly to build. The illustrations were brightly colored and had diverse main characters (White, Black; male, female; abled, disabled). I give this book 5 stars for its creativity, important social content, and representation. You can get your copy here.​While reading this book, things the reader may consider: Is handicapped or special, acceptable terms to use for a child in wheel chair? Why aren’t more parks made accessible to all children? How important do parents think it is for children to play with a variety of children? According to the Landscape Structures Inclusive Play Survey (2014), 74% of parents who responded think it is important. Inclusive environments foster increased social interactions, meaningful friendships, appreciation and acceptance of individual differences, understanding of diversity, respect, empathy, and emotional growth.

Book Title: The Greasy OpossumWritten and illustrated by: Rachel H. StaffordPublished: Self-published, 2017Format: KindlePages: 34Stars: 5Age recommended: 3-7​The Greasy Opossum is a cute, retelling of a story passed down from generation to generation of two brothers, Noah and Jase who enjoyed adventures. On one such adventure, they met a small dirty looking opossum and took in home. They asked their mom if they could keep him as a pet. They learned the valuable lesson about keeping families together. “Don’t you think he misses his mommy?” This was a well written, bed time story. The kindle alignment was landscape instead of portrait but it didn’t affect the readability of the book. Great story!

Recently, I discovered indie author, Claressa Swensen. I saw her promoting her books in a Facebook author group and I ordred three of her kindle books to see what her books her about. After reading three of her books, I can say Claressa and her illustrator work wonders together. Their stories are simple, short, child friendly, yet creative and impacting. Each story has a positive and important message for small children. Each story has unique characters and a different message that will allow children to grow into lifelong book lovers. Today I share three reviews...​Book Title: Dino Dino Doing HomeworkAuthor: Claressa SwensenIllustrator: Yogesh MahajanPublished: Self-published, 2016Format: KindlePages: 16Stars: 5Age recommended: 3-7

This is an excellent, rhyming short story for any child who dislikes doing homework or being told they can no longer play. Teaching children that there is time for play and time for work is something every parent must do. Why not use literature to help you? These images were bright and colorful. Each page had one sentence or two making this perfect for beginner readers. It was perfectly formatted.

In the Shimmery forest lived a tiny fairy named Teensy. She experienced a lot of trials being so small and wish she could grow. Her friend told her how she was able to grow. Once she heard the secret, she despised the advice. After being further prodded and encouraged to give it a try she eventually tried it and found she enjoyed it. Soon she grew healthy, strong, and beautiful and no longer had little fairy issues. The story was well written and rather unpredictable. I had no idea the story line would be about healthy living. What an encouraging story for all toddlers and young children. I was pleasantly surprised and I recommend this read. The illustrations were beautiful and the story had a positive message.

Book Title: Nap Time with HarryAuthor: Claressa SwensenIllustrator: Yogesh MahajanPublished: Self-publishedFormat: Kindle BookPages: 28Stars: 5Age recommended: 2-6​Tony and Tina have an active imagination but they don’t always know when they are just imagining. Together, they create a flying car named Harry, who takes them on magical adventures. However, they learn its only in their dreams. This becomes the moment when nap time is finally embraced. The story is well written, filled with silly giggles, and bright, beautiful and colorful illustrations.